Slingerland
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| Division | |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Fate | Acquired by Gibson in 2003 |
| Founded | 1913 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA |
| Founder | Henry Heanon Slingerland |
| Headquarters | Conway, Arkansas, United States |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Drum kits, electric & acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos |
| Parent | Gibson |
| Website | Slingerland at Gibson website |
Slingerland is an American drum kits brand, currently owned by Gibson. The brand is strongly related to jazz drummers, such as Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich, who used to play signature instruments made by the company.
Slingerland also produced electric and acoustic guitars, mandolins and banjos during the 1930s.
The "Slingerland Drum Company" was founded by Henry Heanon "H.H." Slingerland (1875–1946) in 1912. Slingerland had won a correspondence school of music in a card game aboard one of the gaming boats that once cruised Lake Michigan. He then opened a music school in Chicago, and soon turned to manufacturing instruments as well. The company started out importing ukuleles from Germany, but set up its own production because it could not meet demand. Soon, they produced their own banjos and ukuleles and eventually, also guitars (including electric guitars from 1936 or earlier). Production of drums was started in 1927 in answer to the entry of the Ludwig & Ludwig drum company into the banjo market. The first Slingerland drum kits came out in 1928.
A resourceful and energetic businessman, H.H. established an extensive dealer network throughout the U.S., the then-territory of Hawaii (in the early 1930s) and China. After H.H.'s death from a stroke, the company was run by his wife, Nona, and one of their children, Henry Jr. (known as "Budd"). The company's manufacturing plant was later moved from Chicago proper to the outer suburbs.
As the Slingerland company, best known as a drum manufacturer, also made guitars and banjos. The Songster electric guitar, featured in a 1939 company catalog, pre-dates Les Paul's "log" guitar and is probably the earliest Spanish-style solid-body electric guitar model. The guitar's pickup includes individual string magnets as well as a large horseshoe magnet. Slingerland ceased making electric instruments in 1940 in order to exclusively focus on producing percussion instruments.
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Wikipedia